I did the same a few weeks ago and completely agree with everything you said.

 

I tend to always miss the earlier seasons of most shows. Just the fact that the characters are fresher. And in this case where the characters are less comfortable in the zombie-ridden world.
I think the group is stronger as a family when there were less of them, which is another thing I miss. It was vitally important for them all to watch each other's backs and their friendship grew because of it.

 

Totally agree. What I've noticed about season 4 and 5 is that there is more background music, for me it ruins the anticipation of something happening as it immediately indicates that something is about to happen.
I'd like to see a return to how it was in season one when there wasn't any chilling cellos or melancholic country music.

 

I agree but I also believe the show had to change as the characters changed. A lot of what went on in the earlier seasons couldn't happen now because the characters are so different and hardened. I think the early characters we could relate to more because they were still humane. Now it's hard to relate (or Atleast I hope so) to characters that are willing to kill and do so many things to survive. I think that's the biggest difference is that we were able to relate to the characters in the first couple of seasons but now they are what we would see in this world as monsters.

 

I want to see more of our main characters as the hunted rather than the hunters, i mean even though they were taken by the Termites there was always the thought that they would get out and exact revenge, and even the church scene could have been better, i think when they are back on the road to the next destination we may see more of it, and i dont mean hunted by people, more herds and situations with walkers where standing and fighting isnt an option and they need to run and find somewhere to be safe until it passes and then explore what they can do to move forward again.

 

Some of my favorite moment of the show have come when the group was presented as being at a serious disadvantage. Terminus, the herd that took the farm, and Governor with a tank are great examples. That's what bothers me about right now. Such a lack of the element of real danger.

 

I'm not sure the one-liners are missing [have you been listening to Abe's dialogue? ], but I know what you're saying. Darabont had a knack for casting characters and Jon Bernthal, Laurie Holden, and Michael Rooker just aren't there right now. I still like all of our characters, and some are stronger than others, but we don't have a lot of stand out actors like those 3 right now. But perhaps its rare to have 3 actors like that all together at once.

As for the realism, I don't know, it depends on what you look at. The CDC episode in season 1 was very unrealistic to me. About as unrealistic as the Terminus rescue lol. The grass is always greener, but yes, some of the characters did shine brighter a few seasons ago.

 

Yeah thats what i was getting at, i just dont feel like they are at a disadvantage anymore, the Governor and the farm were good examples but i didnt get the same feeling at Terminus, perhaps because it was over all too soon, i think they could have stretched the battle with them for another episode, perhaps have them hiding inside or just outside Terminus, its all hindsight i suppose but i agree that i want to see them in some more almost hopeless situations.

 

The show is presently at risk of devolving into Rick's group against one bad guy's group after another. No longer a "what Would you do to survive, what Could you do to survive" show like the first couple of seasons; no really, really, deep personal relationships like the Rick-Shane-Lori relationships. The blow you out of the water episodes are fewer and farther between. But what I miss more than anything is the phenomenal acting talents that are no more and have not been replaced: Bernthal; Rooker; Morrisey. The thing I miss second most are the really lively, watchable characters with a steel will to survive who have now been emasculated (male or female) and are now nothing -- like Michonne reduced from Samurai bad-Ass super-plus to baby-sitter/big Sis and Tyrese -- reduced from hammer wielding savior of everyone to unrealistic let's-not-be-so-mean hazard to the group's survival. They (and other denutted characters) have just become boring.

 

I felt terminus was there most hopeless situation ever. I think a lot of viewers just didn't feel it because from the season 5 trailer we could see everyone survived. I think the hunters part our group was at more of an advantage because it was only a few hunters.

i do agree that it does make for some good scense and stories when our group is at a disadvantage but I felt early this season provided that with terminus. I think with the hospital scene it is more of a fair playing field. But part of them not being at constant disadvantages is that they are stronger now than they were back in the early seasons therefor it takes something more extreme for them to be put at a disadvantage. Also they don't constantly put themselves in situations to be in serious danger.

 

Yeah, even though we as viewers knew they were going to escape, you could still feel the desperate hopelessness by the time they were lined up against the trough. On TV, they escaped, but in real life, if we were in that situation, it would have been time to look at each other and say 'so long, old friend'.

 

This kills me, too. I have a hard time following the logic that character development is being geared more towards sensitivity with what these people have encountered. It feels like characters are being developed just for the sake of developing them in the opposite direction that we got to know them as without any realistic justification. I actually didn't mind what ey did with Michonne amd Carl as it made sense based on Michonne's past life amd I don't feel that she has lost her edge. Just that she isn't being given enough screen time. Daryl and Tyreese are just ridiculous. They should save this kind of drastic development for when or if they reach a safer place amd some time has passed, but last time I checked encountering a group of cannibals and being locked in a train car thinking that you are going to die isn't usually a good reason to soften up.

 

I just Merle. Would have been nice to see how him and Derle....I mean Daryl would have been for at least 1 entire season together.

 

Loved the first two seasons, but S3 and S4 have been better IMO. The characters have changed, they've had to in order to survive, but I still relate to and empathize with them like I did at the start.

I will admit the show has lost some outstanding actors, namely Morrissey, Holden, Wilson, and Rooker.

 

You may be right based on the fact we all knew they were going to get out, its a tough situation for AMC when putting out trailers for an upcoming season when they are almost all locked in a rail car, if thats all they show they arent giving us anything new but to show them all out takes away the suspense.
I think reading the comics can put us at a disadvantage as much as they can differ from the tv show we still see things that even if they are happening to another character, we still have a fair idea of the outcome.
The same could be said about being on this site, we all read a hundred different opinions on whats going to happen and one of them is usually right so that may also remove an element of surprise as well.
Either way im hoping the MSF satisfies us and can point us towards and exciting second half of the season.

 

I feel the same.
I still watch Season 1,2 regulary. Sometimes S3 and the Governor episodes of S4 too.
The first two seasons are feeling much more realistic as you said and the zombies were still kinda surrounded with suspense.
The dialogue and acting between the characters was MUCH better.
I only watch the show now because its the only Zombie Tv Series right now, but I would not really care if they stop right now.

S1&S2 are one of my favorite TV Series.

 

Overall the dynamics of the show is inferior to what it was earlier. We have gone from great actors who have moved on to great things, to mediocre actors who has very little stage command..the way Burnthal, Rooker, Demunn and Holden and Callies did.. Great TV shows like Breaking Bad and The Sopranos are great because great characters exist. Right now, the only great characters on The Walking Dead are Rick, Daryl, and Michonne but the problem is they get very limited screen time which is taken by mediocre characters...The acting talent that was there earlier in the show has been downgraded tremendously and water down. The show runner.....
we went from Frank Darabont, the master storyteller, to this Gimple, who pales in comparison to Darabont. Character development... Character development on this show has been down right terrible in the last couple of seasons...

 

Scott Wilson was great too. And Morrissey helped carry the whole Woodbury/Governor arc. If you look at it, over the course of roughly a half season, from 3x15 to 4x8 we lost some significant characters in Merle, Andrea, Hershel and the Governor.

For me right now Andrew Lincoln and Melissa McBride are the two big stand outs.

 

Great insight. You really nailed it... I feel exactly the same....the realism is gone. This show was sooooo awesome and unique with a killer vibe, but now it has evolved into something that feels cheesy....like the old Planet of the Apes vibe..


"I still love the show but feel myself less involved with the characters. I'm simply WATCHING now, not embracing them as friends, family." Right On....